coast as early as 1880. From 1902 to 

 1938 annual production in this area 

 fluctuated between Z, 000 and 18,815,000 

 pounds and the annual average was 

 7,059.000 pounds for the 13 years re- 

 ported. Alabama reported 10,000 

 pounds in 190Z and 4,000 pounds in 

 1931. Texas reported 14,118,000 in 

 1918 and 8,517,000 pounds in 1923. No 

 other menhaden catches from the Gulf 

 of Mexico were reported during the 

 years 1880 to 1938. Therefore, it may 



be said that the Gulf menhaden fishery 

 got started in 1939 with the location 

 of plants in Mississippi. 



During the World War II years 

 Gulf production came from Florida 

 and Mississippi. By 1948 plants had 

 been located in Louisiana and Texas. 

 Landings did not exceed 200 million 

 pounds until 1949- 



Table 2 shows the total catch, 

 yearly average and percentage catch 



Table 1. --Landings of Gulf of Mexico menhaden by States, 1939-58 

 [In thousands of poionds] 



Year 



West coast 

 Florida 



Alabama 



Mississippi 



Louisiana 



Texas 



Total 

 Gulf 



Source 



1939 2,a49 



19A0 267 



1941-44 



1945 7,166 



1946-47 



1948 ''No data 



collected) 



1949 24,879 



1950 1,534 



1951 3,375 



1952 10,737 



1953 4,031 



1954 2 



1955 1,935 



1956 32 



1957 7 



1958 9,103 



Table 2. --Menhaden landings of the Gulf States, 1949-58 

 [in thousands of pounds] 



